3rd jet completes Offutt's fleet of WC-135 'nuke-sniffers'

kAm%96 ~77FEE\32D65 ddE9 (:?8 E@@< 56=:G6CJ @7 :ED E9:C5 C67FC3:D965 (r\`bd# r@?DE2?E !9@6?:I ;6E 62C=:6C E9:D >@?E9[ 8:G:?8 E96 F?:E :ED >@DE C@3FDE C25:2E:@?\56E64E:@? 42A23:=:EJ :? b_ J62CD[ p:C u@C46 @77:4:2=D D2:5]k^Am

kAm%96 ;6E[ E2:= ?F>36C ec\`cgah[ 2CC:G65 2E ~77FEE s64] c 7C@> vC66?G:==6[ %6I2D[ H96C6 E96 7@C>6C pC:K@?2 p:C }2E:@?2= vF2C5 26C:2= C67F6=:?8 E2?<6C 925 366? F?56C8@:?8 4@?G6CD:@? 7@C :ED ?6H 2E>@DA96C:4\4@==64E:@? >:DD:@? D:?46 $6AE6>36C a_a`]k^Am

kAm%96 EH@ @E96C C67FC3:D965 2:C4C27E H6C6 56=:G6C65 :? yF=J a_aa 2?5 |2J a_ab] %96 E@E2= 4@DE @7 E96 AC@8C2> H2D Sa`g >:==:@?]k^Am

kAmr@=] |2C< w@H2C5 @7 E96 ddE9 (:?8 D2:5 :? 2 DE2E6>6?E E92E E96 2CC:G2= @7 E96 255:E:@?2= A=2?6 H2D “2? 9:DE@C:4 52J 7@C E96 u:89E:?’ u:7EJ\u:7E9[” 255:?8 E92E “92G:?8 E9:D E9:C5 ;6E C62==J @A6?D FA 2 =@E @7 @AE:@?D]”k^Am

kAm%96 A=2?6 :D 2DD:8?65 E@ E96 (:?8’D cdE9 #64@??2:DD2?46 $BF25C@?[ H9:49 7=:6D E96 r@?DE2?E !9@6?:I >:DD:@?]k^Am

kAm{E] r@=] |2C:2 |6E96[ E96 DBF25C@?’D 4@>>2?56C[ D2:5 96C 4C6HD H:== ?@H 36 23=6 E@ 42CCJ @FE >:DD:@?D :? EH@ A2CED @7 E96 H@C=5 H9:=6 <66A:?8 @?6 7@C EC2:?:?8 2E 9@>6]k^Am

kAm“q642FD6 2 E9:C5 E2:= 2==@HD 7@C 255:E:@?2= 7=J:?8[ H6 2C6 23=6 E@ EC2:? >@C6 4C6HD :? (r\`bd @A6C2E:@?D 2?5 :?4C62D6 @G6C2== #r\`bd A:=@E 2?5 ?2G:82E@C EC2:?:?8 2E 9@>6 DE2E:@?[” |6E96 D2:5 :? 2? 6>2:=]k^Am

kA 4=2DDlQE?4>D\:?=:?6\=:?<Qmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^@>292]4@>^E?4>D^2DD6E^65:E@C:2=^deahdd67\_f_c\dffe\hh6g\e4e6hdd`f6e4Qm~77FEE ?F<6\D?:776CDi ~FE H:E9 E96 @=5[ :? H:E9 E96 ?6Hk^2mk^Am

kAm%96 p:C u@C46’D C25:2E:@?\>@?:E@C:?8 >:DD:@? 3682? 27E6C E96 `heb 6DE23=:D9>6?E @7 E96 {:>:E65 }F4=62C %6DE q2? %C62EJ[ H9:49 32CC65 ?2E:@?D 7C@> E6DE:?8 ?F4=62C H62A@?D :? E96 2E>@DA96C6]k^Am

kAm%96 &?:E65 $E2E6D 4@?G6CE65 `_ r\`bd G2C:2?E ;6ED :?E@ (r\`bd H62E96C\C64@??2:DD2?46 A=2?6D[ DA64:2==J 4@?7:8FC65 H:E9 C25:2E:@?\>@?:E@C:?8 862C E@ >@?:E@C :?E6C?2E:@?2= 4@>A=:2?46 H:E9 E96 EC62EJ]k^Am

kA 4=2DDlQE?4>D\:?=:?6\=:?<Qmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^@>292]4@>^E?4>D^2DD6E^65:E@C:2=^b5g7`a3e\`h24\d5_6\27fg\_bdcc3h`7b4fQmddE9 (:?8 C6E:C6D 4C2?<J A=2?6 — 5F3365 V{F4:76CVD r92C:@EV — :? ~77FEE 46C6>@?Jk^2mk^Am

kAm%96 >:DD:@? 72565 27E6C E96 r@=5 (2C[ 2?5 E96 ddE9 (:?8 92D 925 ?@ >@C6 E92? EH@ r@?DE2?E !9@6?:I 2:C4C27E D:?46 E96 `hh_D] %96J C646:G65 ?@ D:8?:7:42?E FA8C256D :? C646?E 564256D 2?5 925 364@>6 :?4C62D:?8=J AC@?6 E@ 3C62<5@H?D]k^Am

kAm%96:C >6492?:42= 4@?5:E:@? H2D D@ A@@C E92E E96 DBF25C@?’D 492A=2:? ;@<:?8=J 42==65 @?6 @7 E96 A=2?6D “{F4:76C’D r92C:@E” 2E :ED a_a_ C6E:C6>6?E 46C6>@?J] %96 @E96C H2D C6E:C65 :? a_aa[ 27E6C E96 2CC:G2= @7 E96 7:CDE C67FC3:D965 ;6ED]k^Am

kAmqF:=E :? `hec[ E96 ?6H A=2?6D 2C6 @?=J EH@ E@ E9C66 J62CD ?6H6C E92? E96 2:C4C27E E96J C6A=246[ 2=E9@F89 2== E9C66 H6C6 FA8C2565 H:E9 ?6H[ BF:6E6C[ EFC3@72? 6?8:?6D :? E96 62C=J `hh_D[ 2?5 2C6 6BF:AA65 H:E9 ?6H6C 2G:@?:4D 2?5 7=:89E 4@?EC@=D E92E >2E49 E96 C6DE @7 E96 ddE9 (:?8 C64@??2:DD2?46 7=66E] p?5 E96J 92G6 366? 7=@H? d[___ E@ `_[___ 76H6C 9@FCD]k^Am

kAm“q642FD6 E96J 42? 86?6C2E6 >@C6 A@H6C[ E96 2:C4C27E :D 23=6 E@ 7=J =@?86C[ 2?5 >@C6 677:4:6?E=J[” |6E96 D2:5]k^Am

kAmx? E96 324< 6?5[ E96J 92G6 366? 6BF:AA65 H:E9 D6?D:?8 A@5D @? 6249 D:56 @7 E96 7FD6=286[ @G6C E96 H:?8] u:=E6CD :?D:56 E96 A@5D 42AEFC6 E:?J A2CE:4=6D 7C@> 2 ?F4=62C 3=2DE[ 8:G:?8 2?2=JDED 4C:E:42= :?7@C>2E:@? 23@FE E96 4@>A@D:E:@? @7 E96 3@>3 @C @E96C C25:2E:@? D@FC46] xE’D E96 7:CDE >2;@C FA8C256 7@C >@?:E@C:?8 6BF:A>6?E D:?46 a__c]k^Am

kAm“%96 2CC:G2= @7 E96 E9:C5 (r\`bd# FD96CD :? 2 ?6H 286 @7 E96 >@3:=6 ?F4=62C 2:C3@C?6 D2>A=:?8 >:DD:@?[” D2:5 {E] r@=] $E6A96? y:>6?6K[ 4@>>2?56C @7 E96 p:C u@C46 %649?:42= pAA=:42E:@? r6?E6C’D a`DE $FCG6:==2?46 $BF25C@?[ H9:49 @A6C2E6D E96 A=2?6’D C25:2E:@?\56E64E:@? 6BF:A>6?E[ :? 2 DE2E6>6?E] “pu%pr 2?5 E96 ddE9 (:?8 H:== @A6C2E6 :? ?6H A=246D E@ AC@G:56 @FC ?2E:@?2= =6256CD :?7@C>2E:@? AC@>AE=J D@ E96J 42? 9@=5 @E96CD 244@F?E23=6]”k^Am

kAm%96 ddE9 (:?8 925 =:EE=6 25G2?46 ?@E:46 @7 E96 s646>36C 56=:G6CJ @7 E96 =2E6DE A=2?6[ 3FE :E 92D 368F? AFEE:?8 E96 2:C4C27E E9C@F89 :ED A246D] xE 7=6H EC2:?:?8 >:DD:@?D @? s64] `a[ `d[ 2?5 `g[ 244@C5:?8 E@ :?7@C>2E:@? 82E96C65 7C@> E96 2:C\EC277:4 >@?:E@C:?8 H63D:E6 k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^u=:89E#252Cac]4@>Qmu=:89E#252Cac]4@>k^2m 3J 2 7@C>6C ddE9 (:?8 4C6H >6>36C H9@ FD6D E96 D@4:2= >65:2 92?5=6 o|6}|*#r]k^Am

kAm%96 EH@ @E96C 2:C4C27E 2=C625J 92G6 36EH66? E96> 4@>A=6E65 56A=@J>6?ED E@ t?8=2?5[ "2E2C[ ~<:?2H2[ !F6CE@ #:4@[ 2?5 E96 :D=2?5 @7 s:68@ v2C4:2 :? E96 x?5:2? ~462?]k^Am